The top four teams in the NHL have all made it to the second round, but only two will go on to the next round. It’s an unfortunate circumstance of the playoff format, but one that should provide some electrifying playoff matchups in the second round. The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Predators agaisnt the runner-up Jets is the marquee event, but this series featuring the league’s third and fourth best regular-season teams should prove to be just as entertaining.

It should be just as close too with very little separating the teams. That’s the theme of what might be the most exciting second round in recent memory and this series between the Lightning and Bruins should be no different. Tampa Bay starts the series with a very slight edge, but not by much and the difference is mainly home ice.

The Numbers

Much like the Predators-Jets series, the chart above is a sea of blue. For the uninitiated, that means both these teams are pretty damn good, and while you...